Abrasive power tools such as grinders, cutters and sanders inherently create large volumes of dust when in use which can be detrimental not only to operating efficiency but also to personnel in the area. To alleviate this problem the prior art has provided various forms of power tools with built-in dust removal capabilities. Such prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,638,362; 3,932,963 and 4,381,628. However, literally millions of power sanders and the like have been and are being manufactured which have no dust-control capabilities. For example, one common form of sander used extensively in the auto repair business is a sander having an oscillating platen which is pneumatically driven. When such a sander is used for removing old paint or in smoothing plastic reconstructive material, often called "bondo", a tremendous volume of dust is created and must be removed or tolerated in some way. The present invention provides a highly effective and economical solution to this problem.
Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide a removable cover device for a power sander that provides a means for confining and removing the dust created by the sander and thereby preventing it from entering the atmosphere surrounding it when in use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a one-piece cover device for a sander which extends over and around it to serve as a guard as well as a dust collector.
A more specific object of the invention is to provide a one-piece cover device for a power sander that surrounds the oscillating sander platen and causes air to circulate within the device to remove dust and abrasive particles efficiently when connected to an air vacuum system.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a dust removing cover for a sander that is particularly well adapted for ease and economy of manufacture.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cover for a power sander which is easy to install and which is highly durable and yet relatively light so that it does not reduce the operability and effectiveness of the sander.